title: Hb Constant Spring [alpha 142, Term-->Gln (TAA>CAA in alpha2)] in the alpha-thalassemia of anemic patients in Myanmar.
abstract: Hb Constant Spring (Hb CS), the gene (alpha(CS)) of which arises from a point mutation in the termination codon of the alpha2-globin gene, is the most prevalent variety of nondeletional alpha-thalassemia (alpha-thal) in Asian populations. It is a major cause of Hb H disease in compound heterozygotes who have Hb CS combined with a duplicated alpha gene deletion (--/alpha(CS)alpha), and it tends to be more severe than Hb H disease which is caused by a triple alpha gene deletion (--/-alpha). Hb CS is often missed by routine electrophoresis but not by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. During alpha-thal screening and genotyping of 235 patients diagnosed by laboratory tests hemoglobin (Hb), MCV, MCH and Hb H inclusion bodies] using the gap-PCR method, 175 patients were diagnosed to be carriers of an alpha-thal gene, genotypes of which were 133 alpha-thal-2, 34 alpha-thal-1 (including one only by laboratory test) and eight with Hb H disease. Detection of the alpha(CS) gene for the carriers of alpha-thal-1 and Hb H disease was done by the mismatched PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) method and the alpha(CS) gene was found in the homozygous state in an alpha-thal-1 patient and a single gene form in two Hb H disease patients. These genotypes were characterized by the PCR-sequencing method. These patients clinically presented the aspects of Hb H disease and of a homozygote form of alpha-thal-1. The description of the alpha(CS) gene in Myanmar is of great value in the development of an effective procedure for prenatal diagnosis of Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research (Lower Myanmar), and National Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Yangon, Union of Myanmar.
authors.lastname: Ne-Win
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harano
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harano
authors.lastname: Kyaw-Shwe
authors.lastname: Aye-Aye-Myint
authors.lastname: Khin-Thander-Aye
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D017353:Gene Deletion; D005838:Genotype; D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D002052:Myanmar / Q000453:epidemiology; D010641:Phenotype; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006455:Hemoglobins, Abnormal; C035541:Hemoglobin Constant Spring